


A Place to Call Home

by sukunasimp



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Attempt at Humor, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Idiots in Love, M/M, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:20:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24105856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sukunasimp/pseuds/sukunasimp
Summary: Naruto and Sasuke wake up from a one-night stand that neither one of them remembers, and both want to forget. Or do they? Watch as Sasuke, one of the cool kids, struggles to comprehend the weird fuzzy feeling he gets around Naruto. Watch as Naruto, the local goof, tries to hide his crush on Sasuke. Featuring Suigetsu as Sasuke’s surprisingly lively companion and Kiba as Naruto’s goofball counterpart, the two people who might uncover the truth behind their friends' mysterious actions. Or not.
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 42
Kudos: 73





	1. The Morning After

**Author's Note:**

> i can't stop screaming about naruto x sasuke so might as well put it to good use
> 
> also i changed the title because i felt it fit better!

“Wake up, loser,” Sasuke said, glaring at Naruto who was still peacefully sleeping at his side, even though first voices were already starting to echo down the hallways.

Naruto mumbled something incoherent and turned to his side, stretching one of his arms around Sasuke before he was able to react.

“Stay,” he whispered, still half asleep, his arm closed around Sasuke, who stared for a moment before yanking free of his grip, and repeated, now louder, “Wake up already!”

Naruto slowly started opening his eyes while Sasuke waited with a pouting look on his face, observing Naruto’s face as he was slowly becoming aware of the situation.

“What are you doing here?” he yelled, and hoped that Sasuke didn't notice he was blushing.

“I'm asking myself the same question,” Sasuke replied. And then he realized that his clothes were on the floor next to the bed, and he yelled, “Look away, I'll be going now.”

“You could've left a thousand times already,” Naruto said, looking offended. Sasuke realized he was absolutely right, but he needed to maintain his appearances.

“You're wrong,” he said decisively, “I needed to warn you not to say a word of this to anyone. Do you understand me?” He was now staring at Naruto threateningly.

“As if I'd want to let anyone know.” Naruto replied, crossed his arms and stared back.

“Perfect.” Sasuke was beginning to gather his clothes, careful not to let the covers slip any further down his torso. “Now turn away.”

“You don't try to sneak a peak either!” Naruto exclaimed. 

“Hm. You don't have to worry about that.” Sasuke said, and started dressing.

What Sasuke didn’t realize was that Naruto could still see his reflection on the window glass in front of him.

Naruto observed the shape of his body and the way muscles on his back moved as he bent down to collect his shirt. He also noticed that, before he was finished dressing, he tilted his head just a little and glanced at Naruto. _Heh, can't resist me despite all your tough guy act, can you?_ Naruto thought to himself and smiled contently. 

“Are you done yet?” Sasuke’s annoyed, impatient voice interrupted his thoughts. He quickly finished dressing and turned around.

“All done,” he said.

Sasuke seemed to hesitate, as if he was about to say something, but then he just started walking towards the door. “I’m going now.” 

“No one here to stop you,” Naruto replied, following him with his gaze.

Sasuke carefully opened the door, checked if there was anyone around, and then, confirming that the air was clear, casually strolled out and closed the door behind him.

As Sasuke was walking down the empty corridor towards his room, thoughts were racing in his mind. He had no idea how this happened. The last thing he remembered was Suigetsu dragging him to a party that Kiba was organizing. He objected because he didn’t feel like hanging out with anyone, especially not the type of crowd that Kiba was normally around. However, Suigetsu guilt tripped him into it, and there he was.

He remembered drinking and he remembered Naruto challenging him to a beer pong duel. Maybe. But what he definitely didn’t remember was how he ended up in Naruto’s bed. However, he was surprised that deep down, he didn’t feel like he regretted it (even though he would never admit this to anyone).

He reached the door of his room and opened it, expecting no one to be there. He was wrong, of course.

Suigetsu was sitting on his bed, a sly smile appearing on his face as soon as their eyes met. 

“You bastard,” he said, still grinning.

“What do you want?” Sasuke asked, wondering why anyone would want to be friends with him, and why anyone would be as happy about it as Suigetsu was.

“You can’t fool me,” Suigetsu said, “I know what you did last night.”

Sasuke managed to keep a straight face somehow. “Oh, really? Why don’t you tell me then?”

Suigetsu let out a frustrated sigh. “Because I don’t know who you did it with yet. And judging by the expression on your face, you obviously won’t tell me.”

“I’m surprised you got at least something right,” replied Sasuke.

“I’ll let you be for now. But rest assured, I will find your secret out soon enough!” Suigetsu said with a big grin.

“Why don’t I tell you about my adventures instead?” he continued and Sasuke reluctantly sat next to him on the bed.

“Whatever” he replied and while Suigetsu talked about his another, most likely failed attempt to hook up with Karin, Sasuke's thoughts went back to Naruto.

Naruto sat back on the bed and finally processed what just happened in its entirety.

_Huh, that damn Sasuke, acting like he’s better than everyone else. I’ll never let him forget this_ , he thought.

Then he realized that Sasuke would probably beat his ass if he ever mentioned a word of this to anyone.

However, he still remained convinced that something else was hiding beneath that cold and sullen exterior. I mean, how else would the two of them end up together?

Come to think of it, he didn’t know much about Sasuke, but there was something about his aura that made Naruto feel close to him. And every time he started feeling like this, he would just shake his head and wonder what the hell was wrong with him.

Sasuke was a straight-A student who acted like everything was beneath him, even the notion of having friends. But somehow, everyone always seemed to be fighting for even the slightest opportunity to talk to him. _How typical_ , he thought. The only one who ever managed to get close to Sasuke so far was Suigetsu and even to this day, nobody had a clue how he did it. _Heh,_ _I bet they aren't THIS_ _close_ , Naruto amused himself with this thought. 

Then suddenly Kiba barged in his room without so much as a knock. 

_If this had happened half an hour earlier..._ Naruto imagined the scenario and couldn't help but laugh.

“Oi, where the hell were you?” Kiba exclaimed angrily, pointing an accusing finger at Naruto. “I can’t believe you just ditched your best friend’s party like that!”

“What are you talking about?” asked Naruto, completely clueless as to how last night’s events took place, hoping that Kiba would shine some light on it.

“You should be thankful my other friends kept me company, so I didn’t realize you were gone until morning!” Kiba said, pouting and refusing to look Naruto straight in the face.

“You passed out because you overestimated your limit again, didn't you?” Naruto said, grinning.

“I DON’T TALK TO TRAITORS!” Kiba shouted.

Naruto laughed. “Why did you come to my room then?”

“Shut up. I know you were up to something. I can smell trouble, you know.”

“You’re just bluffing.”

“Prove me wrong!”

“I was tired from your weak ass party and went back to my room to sleep. That’s all.”

Kiba was observing him suspiciously, but then a grin emerged on his face.

“Whatever, I don’t care. I have more important things to discuss than your boring ass. I got big news!”

“Let’s hear it.”

“I exchanged passionate glances with Hinata yesterday! I can smell the beginning of a great love story in the air! And I know she felt it too!”

“You’re hopeless,” Naruto said, grateful that he managed to avoid the topic of his disappearance. As Kiba rambled on, daydreaming about his platonic love affair, Naruto's thoughts went back to Sasuke.

An hour ago

Sasuke woke up. Next to him was Naruto, peacefully sleeping. Surprisingly, he didn’t feel the need to pull back. On the contrary, his hand just acted on its own and carefully removed a strand of Naruto's hair covering his eyes. Again, instead of immediately pulling back, his hand lingered and his eyes studied every inch of Naruto's face. He looked content, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Sasuke felt warm and cozy next to him, and decided to stay like this for a couple more minutes before returning back to his usual self.


	2. The Day After

A whole day had passed after the Friday night’s party.

Sasuke woke up and turned to his side. It was as if he expected someone to be there, but his bed was empty. He had been lonely for such a long time he barely even noticed it anymore. Then why did it feel strange all of a sudden?

He remembered yesterday’s morning. _Is it because of that guy?_ he wondered.

_Impossible_.

_But what else could it be?_

He had never felt this way before, so he couldn’t comprehend it.

He was the type to keep to himself, hiding his feelings deep inside. He hadn't always been like that; he was a curious and loving child, always asking questions about this or that. He followed his big brother everywhere he went, even before he learned how to walk. He would crawl after Itachi all around the house, making their parents laugh until tears came to their eyes.

However, everything changed after their parents died in a car accident, leaving the two of them behind. Itachi was barely an adult, but already forced to shoulder so much responsibility. Sasuke didn’t want him to feel any more pressure than he already had, so he would hide his tears, bury his emotions deep inside, until eventually he didn’t even feel the need to cry anymore. Sometimes he was afraid that he tried to hide his feelings so hard that it changed him, emptied him of his emotions, and he eventually became numb.

However, the feeling of yesterday’s morning was quite similar to that feeling of home he thought he had long ago forgotten.

But even if he felt something, he wouldn't for the life of him know how to act on it. 

Naruto, on the other had, was a complete opposite. He always acted impulsively, spoke what was on his mind and let his feelings guide most of his actions. Sasuke liked that about him. It seemed easy being with a straight-forward person, and he felt that it somehow alleviated all the tenseness he at times felt.

Even after everything that had happened, Sasuke wasn’t emotionless, he simply suppressed his emotions to a place somewhere deep inside him. He tried to bury that place, together with all the emotions, but instead there would be times when it weighed on him with immense pressure.

That place seemed not to exist yesterday morning.

He wanted to remember that feeling.

But he hated feeling exposed. And weak. He promised himself he would be strong like his brother. Itachi, who was always there for him. He wanted to return the favor and support him, help him carry the weight he had always carried for both of them.

But he knew it was too late. With time, Itachi’s eyes grew tired and his big brother gradually lost the light that was always surrounding him before. 

Sasuke knew that it was all a part of growing up, but he felt partly responsible for not being able to do anything.

He remembered his parents. He remembered the pain of losing them.

_How will I ever be capable of being close to someone again?_ he thought, _when the pain of the possibility of losing them was unbearable_.

Emotions made you weak. And he didn’t ever want to feel that pain again.

He was determined not to let Naruto ruin everything he worked so hard for.

_I’ll just have to stay away from him and everything will go away._

_How hard could it be?_

What he wasn’t aware of was the fact that the feelings that started growing inside him wouldn’t be so easy to shake off. And neither would Naruto.

A whole day had passed after the Friday night’s party.

Naruto woke up, excited that Sasuke was still there, and realized he had been hugging his pillow. _Not today, huh,_ he thought, disappointed.

Naruto had been daydreaming about Sasuke since the first time he saw him.

First, as someone he admired and wanted to be _like_. Then, eventually, as someone he admired and wanted to be _with_. He wasn’t sure when exactly this transition happened. Probably around the time his focus shifted from Sasuke's straight-As and all the worship that surrounded him, both by the teachers and the students, to the way his dark eyes looked when rays of sunlight illuminated them and how pretty his smile was on the rare occasions when he did smile.

He had heard from someone that Sasuke lived with his brother because their parents were gone and wondered if he ever felt lonely. Naruto had been on his own for as long as he could remember, never staying in one place too long, going from one foster family to another, all the while never knowing who his parents actually were.

He would do all sorts of pranks as a way of getting attention. But every time, his intentions were misunderstood, so he ended up changing foster families faster than one would normally do. He understood that people had their own lives, and that they could never commit themselves to him fully, no matter how hard some of them tried, but he still craved more than they could give him. The older he got, the harder it was to connect, and since he realized that he would never feel truly at home anywhere, he just gave up. 

He didn’t want to be ungrateful, of course, but somehow, it never felt right. The warmth that he was supposed to feel around his own family just never seemed to manifest fully, and his thoughts would always wander to his real parents. He didn’t even know if they were dead or alive, and sometimes unbearable loneliness would just wash over him.

Things changed after he met Kiba though, when he realized the meaning of friendship and its power to fill the void he so desperately tried to get rid of. He had always considered Kiba his actual family, and the closest he ever came to having a brother.

He was proud that despite everything, he did his best to stay cheerful and he learned that making other people laugh was one way of filling the void. And it worked. 

But that feeling of loneliness sometimes creeped back to him.

He would lie in bed, and think about all the times he imagined his mother saying to him “You have your father’s eyes”, and then his father saying “But he inherited your beautiful smile”, and they would all laugh and start arguing about what he got from who, and he would just sit there looking at them, feeling truly loved. 

Of course, he never got any of that. But he didn’t like thinking about it because, all things considered, he was much happier now than he was before.

However, it didn’t erase the fact that he felt like something was missing.

He loved Kiba, but he could never understand him fully, and he couldn't blame him for that because, after all, anyone who understood him would have to feel that loneliness. 

Sasuke, on the other hand…

When their eyes met yesterday, just as he was about to leave, Naruto thought he saw a hint of that same pain, but now he wasn't sure if he imagined it or not.

He felt like his crush on Sasuke wasn’t just a silly crush anymore.

_Should I confront him?_ he thought, but then remembered Sasuke’s threatening look from yesterday. _That can’t be all there is to him_.

He decided that he would leave it for now and wait for their next encounter, which was bound to happen sooner or later. 


	3. Unlikely Alliance

“Naruto!!!”

Loud banging on the door woke Naruto up, alongside with Kiba’s angry voice.

“We’re going to be late! AGAIN!!!” Kiba continued shouting from the other side of the door while Naruto quickly jumped out of bed and grabbed random clothes from the pile on his chair.

“In a minute!” Naruto shouted back.

He didn’t even have time to think about the fact that he will see Sasuke again for the first time after _that_ day.

He finished dressing and rushed out of the room with Kiba already halfway down the hallway.

When they finally reached the classroom, they were both out of breath, but thankfully the professor was not there yet.

Naruto’s eyes immediately went over to Sasuke’s usual spot, down by the window. Sasuke looked back at him, but quickly averted his gaze.

 _This isn’t going to be easy, huh?_ Naruto thought.

“Oy, blondie!” one of the resident bullies, as Kiba called them, yelled.

Assuming he was talking to him, Naruto said “What do you want?”

“Mommy didn’t teach you know to dress properly?” he said, and Naruto looked down confused. His t-shirt was upside down AND his shoes did not match. _Oh, great._

“Oh that’s right, she didn’t want you anyway.” The resident bullies all burst laughing.

Naruto felt the anger welling up inside him. He didn’t want stupid remarks like that to be able to bring him down, but he couldn’t help it.

Kiba grabbed him as he tried to make his way towards them. “Don’t” he said softly. Naruto shook his hand off. 

But then he heard another voice. A familiar voice. 

“Will you grow up already?”

It was Sasuke.

Everyone fell silent. _What just happened?_ Sasuke normally just minded his own business because he himself preferred to be left alone. 

While everyone just stared at him, baffled, he probably realized that he acted out of character and said:

“I can’t focus on anything with all this ruckus.” 

Everyone else might have bought that, but Naruto was sure there was something else.

Especially because, before Sasuke turned back, he met his eyes for a brief moment.

* * *

_I’m such an idiot,_ Sasuke thought. _What did I do that for?_

“You can’t focus on what? You’re just staring out the window.” Suigetsu was there again, grinning in his face.

“I’m thinking.” Sasuke said.

“I see that getting laid has turned you into a humanitarian.” Suigetsu was still teasing.

“Shut up.”

When Naruto looked at him, he knew he realized that he did it for his sake, and that’s why he was even more annoyed at himself. 

* * *

Naruto felt warm and dizzy. Everyone had returned back to their usual chitchat, even the bullies didn’t pay attention to him anymore.

That’s how much power Sasuke had over everyone, even if the only reason was that they were too surprised to think of a comeback.

Naruto was in the back row next to Kiba. And just like everyone else, Kiba didn't seem to completely grasp what just happened. 

Naruto’s eyes went back to Sasuke, who was staring out the window again.

 _Does he actually care about me?_ Naruto thought. He didn’t want to get his hopes up, however he did feel the connection between them before.

Maybe he wasn’t imagining it, after all.

* * *

Three boring lectures later

It was lunch break and Naruto decided to use this opportunity to try and talk to Sasuke.

He got rid of Kiba easily, by telling him he saw Hinata heading somewhere on her own. “I'm sorry, Naruto, but we can't have a lady eating lunch all by herself,” he said and ran off with a big smile on his face. 

The only thing left to do was get to Sasuke. _If only I could catch him alone,_ Naruto thought, but Suigetsu always seemed to be following Sasuke wherever he went.

But then he remembered Karin, and Suigetsu’s hopeless crush on her.

He caught a glimpse of her red hair and approached her quickly.

“Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?” he said when she turned around.

“What do you want?” she asked, with an uninterested look on her face. But then something clicked. “Oh, you’re a friend of Sasuke, right?”

 _Does she know something?_ Naruto panicked. “Why do you say that?”

“Well, he defended you today, right?” she said.

“Oh, yes, that’s what you meant, um, yeah, yeah, we’re good pals.” Naruto was still nervous.

“So?” she was watching him carefully. “What did you want?”

“Oh, yeah, um, could you keep Suigetsu company during lunch?” Naruto asked, hoping for the best.

“Ew, why would I want to do that?” Karin said, now with a disgusted look on her face.

_Shit._

“You know, um, Sasuke said you were the right person for the job and, oh, he wanted some time alone, but, you know, Suigetsu won’t let him.” Naruto said, proud of himself for thinking of this and barely managing to keep a straight face. 

“Oh, why didn’t you say so before? You know I’d do anything for Sasuke.” Karin said, with a big smile on her face, her mind already far away, probably daydreaming about the ways in which Sasuke would repay her.

“Sasuke says thanks!” Naruto said and ran off.

Then he realized he shouldn’t be running because what’s the point if he reaches Sasuke before Karin drags Suigetsu away.

He spotted Sasuke and Suigetsu talking outside (or probably just Suigetsu talking).

Naruto decided to sit on the bench nearby (hopefully without being noticed) and wait for Karin to do her part.

And soon enough, there she was, approaching the two of them with a wide smile on her face.

Suigetsu stopped talking as soon as he saw her but he showed no excitement, since he was probably just expecting her to head over to Sasuke.

The look on his face when she stopped right in front of him and said “Wanna grab lunch together?” – priceless. He just looked at Sasuke, then back at Karin, then Sasuke again (who just stood there looking like he couldn’t care less), until finally Karin grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away, but not before she winked at Sasuke thoughtfully.

Sasuke still looked like he didn’t care at all and just turned around and headed somewhere.

Naruto realized this was his only chance.

He hurried across the lawn, but then realized that Sasuke would enter the building before he would manage to catch up to him, and then his meticulous plan to get him alone would be ruined.

So he just yelled “Sasuke!!!”

And it worked. Sasuke heard him and stopped. The problem was that everyone else who was outside heard him too. And stared.

Sasuke turned around and looked at him, staring daggers.

Naruto started sweating and just laughed nervously. _Everything is fine_.

“Do you have a minute?” he asked.

Sasuke just stared at him. _Do I take this as a yes or no?_

He decided to take it as a yes and pointed to a bench nearby, hoping that Sasuke would follow him as he headed there. And surprisingly, he did.

Some people were still watching the two of them as they walked, but they seemed to lose interest when they realized that nothing spectacular was going on.

_Whew._

_Wait, what do I do now???_

* * *

_I won’t be able to get rid of this idiot so easily, huh?_ Sasuke thought.

He was indulging his curiosity by following Naruto to the bench. Actually, he was still shocked by his own behavior and, even though he swore that he would avoid him, some part of him wanted to see where all this would go.

He was calmly observing Naruto who was growing more nervous by the second.

His eyes kept wandering around, avoiding to look straight at Sasuke, and he just mumbled incoherent sounds and generally made no sense. 

_That’s kinda cute_ , Sasuke thought and was genuinely shocked.

“Well?” he said.

“Oh, right.” Naruto said, and he still seemed not to have a clue what to say. Then he finally managed to collect his thoughts. “I wanted to thank you for today, you know.” 

He looked up and he fixed his eyes on him, waiting for a reply.

“I didn’t do it for you.” Sasuke said, even though he knew that was not true.

“Why, then?” Naruto asked, looking kind of disappointed.

But not because he thought what Sasuke said was true (Sasuke knew he saw right through him), but because he didn’t want him to lie.

“They were annoying.” Sasuke said.

“They are annoying all the time and you never did anything before.” Naruto continued, obviously not meaning to let this go.

Sasuke realized he had no other choice.

“Okay, you’re right, now just shut up about it.” he said sulkily, but a smile almost crept its way to his face. He didn't let it, but Naruto still noticed it.

“I knew it!” Naruto said with a big grin on his face.

“Knew what?” Sasuke asked, knowing that he was probably going to regret it.

“You’re not as cold as you want people to think you are.”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

He couldn’t help but feel happy and at peace. He hadn’t experienced this for so long.

Maybe he should just let himself go.

“Oh, also, you know, maybe if you wanted, we could, um, I don’t know…” Naruto was obviously struggling again. Sasuke just kept quiet. 

“You see, since you were, today, um, well, I mean…” Naruto still couldn't find the right words and Sasuke could see the desperation in his eyes.

Then a big smile just appeared on Sasuke's face.

This time he didn’t try to stop it from happening. 

“Huh?” Naruto looked at him, surprised, then a big childish grin appeared on his face too.

“Just come with me.” Sasuke said, then got up and started heading towards the exit.

“Wait, what are you doing? We have class in, like, 30 minutes.” Naruto said, completely confused. 

“It’s not like you to worry about that.” Sasuke said, continuing on.

He decided he would let himself go for once and see where it would lead him.

He knew Naruto would follow. 


	4. Making Their Way Downtown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it took so long to publish the next chapter but you know life

Sasuke ignored all the alarms that were sounding in his head and kept walking. Naruto caught up with him and they were now walking side by side. Sasuke could feel Naruto’s gaze and he knew he was probably trying to process this whole situation.

Sasuke himself wasn’t sure how to process it either. Maybe he wanted to get to know him better since there was obviously some sort of connection between them. He still wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do, or if he could even handle getting close to someone. But he couldn’t deny the fact that he felt different when Naruto was around.

“Um, where are we going?” Naruto finally asked.

Sasuke realized he didn’t know either. He just wanted to get away from everything, and even if it was just for a day, he wanted to genuinely enjoy himself. 

“You decide” he said.

Naruto looked baffled, but then he seemed to think of something and smiled instantly.

“Then I shall treat you to the food of the gods!” Naruto exclaimed, looking very pleased with himself. Then suddenly, his face was overcome with fear. “Oh, actually, I don’t mean treat you in a _I’ll pay for us both_ sort of way, just, you know, I’ll show you the place.” he said, with occasional breaks of nervous laughter.

“Don’t worry about it.” Sasuke said and realized he couldn’t help but feel affection for Naruto each time he displayed one of his mini nervous breakdowns. And he did that a lot. _Shit._

* * *

Naruto was relieved that Sasuke let him take the lead, especially because being in a familiar setting might help him ease up a little. He was even more nervous than he thought he would be, especially because he didn’t have time to prepare for a situation of this magnitude.

He only expected to have a little chat with Sasuke, and even that seemed like wishful thinking.

 _I never imagined it would be this easy_.

Naruto starting panicking. _I can’t afford to look like an idiot now, after I’ve come so far!_

_Just breathe. Don’t say anything stupid._

“So, where are we going?” Naruto asked.

_Fuck._

“Didn’t you say you would lead the way?” Sasuke said, and looked at him curiously.

_I'm an idiot._

Now that Sasuke was closely inspecting him, he was even more nervous.

_Just say something. Anything._

“I mean, what are we?”

_WHAT AM I SAYING?_

“No, I mean, what are we going to do?”

“You said we were going to eat.” Sasuke said, while so obviously trying not to laugh.

“Oh, oh, right, yeah.” Naruto realized it would’ve been better if he had just kept his mouth shut.

Sasuke started laughing.

“You don’t have to be so tense, you know. I don’t bite.” he said.

Before Naruto could restrain himself, words just came out of his mouth. AGAIN.

“I seem to remember differently.”

Sasuke blushed instantly and for the first time Naruto saw him looking flustered, like a high school girl whose crush had just been exposed.

Even though Naruto still didn’t remember the events of that night, saying that sentence out loud somehow felt like the truth. 

And it seemed that Sasuke felt the same way. 

“Oh, well, that might have happened.” Sasuke said, now trying to keep his cool.

“Do you, um, remember anything?” Naruto asked, carefully.

“Not really. More like a general feeling.” Sasuke replied.

“Oh, um, what feeling would that be?” Naruto asked, hoping for the best. Sasuke was silent for a while, and Naruto thought he wouldn’t even answer.

“Content, actually.” Sasuke finally blurted out and Naruto knew that it required a lot of effort for him to say it out loud. He appreciated it and he couldn’t help but smile sheepishly. 

“I never thought I’d hear this from you.” Naruto said.

“Neither did I.” Sasuke answered, and they both burst into laughter.

“If you mention a word of this to anyone, I’ll kill you.” he added.

“Don’t worry, no matter what, I’m still afraid of you.” Naruto said, but he wasn’t sure if he meant it anymore. They were looking at each other, silent, but their eyes seemed to express a whole myriad of feelings. Naruto wanted to remember this moment.

He suddenly realized that he was always afraid moments like these would just slip through his fingers and be gone forever if he didn’t hold on to them as tightly as possible.

And now he was afraid of his newfound need to hold on to Sasuke as tightly as possible.

* * *

Sasuke felt strangely comfortable just walking next to Naruto.

He suddenly remembered something. It was when they had all first moved to the dorms and the college organized a Parents’ Visiting Day.

Itachi kept asking Sasuke if he wanted him to come, but Sasuke was afraid of breaking down in front of him, so he managed to convince him there was no need.

He had decided to just stay in his room until the day was over but the voices of the kids and their parents overwhelmed him, so he went out to the balcony.

It was more peaceful out there, with all the voices just a distant faraway sound. However, when he looked down, he saw a blonde boy sitting out there on the bench all alone. It looked like he was crying, but Sasuke wasn’t sure. He didn’t know his name at the time, but he recognized him as the boy who kept laughing and making jokes at the entrance ceremony. The loud cheerful boy from before now looked surprisingly sad and Sasuke went back inside before he noticed him.

He now realized it was Naruto. Maybe that’s the connection he felt. Not so much the fact that Naruto helped him forget about his sadness and took part of it away, but that they shared the same sadness and that knowledge on its own made it easier to bear.

Sasuke always felt that nobody had ever been able to understand him. Sure, they understood how he must have felt, but they could never understand him completely.

Naruto was the first person who might actually know exactly how he feels. And that knowledge comforted him.

“We’re here!” Naruto exclaimed.

Sasuke looked up. It was a ramen shop.

* * *

Naruto looked warm-heartedly at the “Ichiraku Ramen” sign above the front door.

They went in and the owner greeted him the same as usual. “Back so soon?” he said with a teasing smile.

And Naruto replied like he always did “You know I can’t live without you, mister.”

“You still won’t get free ramen, so don’t try to flatter me!” he said, laughing. And then he seemed to notice Sasuke and stopped, surprised. “You brought company?” he asked.

Naruto felt blood rushing to his face. “Don’t act so surprised, mister!”

He looked at Sasuke, who was just standing there, with an ambiguous smile on his face. Then he turned to Naruto and just said “Come on.”

He led him to a booth as if he was a regular there and not Naruto.

 _Can I go one moment without embarrassing myself, seriously?_

“One big bowl of Miso Chashu Pork ramen for you, Naruto. And what will you have, young sir?”

“Oh, same for me.” Sasuke said and looked at Naruto, who just smiled and said “I’m a regular.” The owner was already busy behind the counter preparing their orders.

However, Naruto started panicking again. He had no idea what to say now that they were here. 

_You wanted this, right? So pull yourself together._

“So, um, what’s up?” he asked and immediately wished the Earth would just swallow him.

However, Sasuke still seemed amused.

“I’m just watching some idiot struggle.”

“Oh, where?” Naruto asked and then he realized. “Oh, you mean me.”

“I’m just messing with you.” Sasuke laughed. “You don’t have to be nervous. We should be past that stage already, right?”

Naruto was surprised that now Sasuke was the one to subtly mention that night.

“Oh, so we’re not pretending it didn’t happen anymore?”

“In front of everyone else, yes we are.” Sasuke said. Then he was silent for a moment, looking out the window, before returning his gaze to Naruto and continuing “But we don’t have to pretend around each other anymore.”

“Well, that’s progress.” Naruto replied. 


	5. The Taste of Ramen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again i apologize for the late update, i promise to be more frequent now i'm on vacation

Sasuke knew their orders were on their way as soon as he saw the look in Naruto’s eyes. They were almost shining, and it seemed that Naruto had forgotten all about his struggles and only had one thing on his mind. _Ramen_. His mouth opened and he almost started drooling all over the table.

_This guy is hopeless, huh?_ Sasuke thought.

Even before the bowl touched the surface of the table, Naruto snatched the chopsticks, almost knocking the owner over. He just laughed, saying “Eager as ever.”

Naruto paid no attention to any of them, he only had eyes for the ramen in front of him and only one goal on his mind. To eat it.

Sasuke ate his share slowly, observing Naruto who seemed to be in an almost animalistic trance. He finished quickly enough, as was expected, and then finally lifted his head to look at Sasuke, whose bowl was still almost half full. Naruto’s eyes were focused on Sasuke for a brief moment before he lowered his gaze to the bowl in front of him. His eyes started shining again and Sasuke knew exactly what he wanted. “Do you want to finish mine?” Sasuke asked.

Naruto looked as a child whose parents had finally given in to his constant pleading, agreeing to buy him a toy he wanted, just to get him to stop bothering them. “Do you mean that?” he asked, his hands already reaching for the bowl in front of Sasuke.

“Of course…” Sasuke started, with a sly smile on his face “…not.”

Now Naruto looked as a child whose parents had taken his favorite toy away from him.

“How can you be so heartless?” he asked, seriously on the verge of crying.

“I’m kidding.” Sasuke said, still amazed how dedicated to ramen this guy was. He slid the bowl across the table to Naruto, whose face was now a mix of conflicting emotions.

“Is this some kind of trick?” Naruto asked, while at the same time carefully starting to eat.

“Surprisingly, no.” Sasuke said.

Naruto finished the second bowl soon enough and after a couple of moments, his ramen frenzy was over. Or so it seemed at first.

Now he started talking about the rich flavors of Miso Chashu Pork ramen, and Sasuke stopped listening to him. He just looked at him, as he passionately waved his hands around, his eyes wandering about, probably imagining a field a ramen bowls he could run through.

As he observed him with a smile on his face, Sasuke felt a sudden urge to do something.

He didn’t even have time to think about it. It was like some unnamable force took control of his body, and before he knew it, he reached over the table, grabbed confused Naruto’s shirt and kissed him. His lips were surprisingly soft and warm and Sasuke could feel the flavor of ramen. _Is this what love feels like? Ramen?_ He was sure Naruto would agree with that in a heartbeat.

* * *

Naruto realized talking about ramen seemed to remove that nervousness he felt every time he was alone with Sasuke, so he started blabbering on about his thoughts on Miso Chashu Pork ramen, and even though he wasn’t sure Sasuke even listened to him, he felt like he was making progress.

He was about to get to the part where he would describe the process in which the noodles are made, because of course, if noodles are not properly cooked, the whole experience of Miso Chashu Pork ramen can go to waste. However, he didn’t manage to get a single word in because Sasuke did something. _What exactly did he do?_ One moment his mouth was forming the word “noodles” and the next there was something else occupying his lips. _SASUKE???_

He tried to form some thoughts in his head to be able to comprehend what was happening, but he was so distracted he couldn’t think of anything except the taste of ramen on his lips. However, this was different than eating ramen. _This was admittedly better than eating ramen._

He couldn’t believe there was something better than ramen. But there was. The hand clutching his shirt, their faces so close to each other, their lips touching.

The world around them didn’t exist for that brief moment. And then Sasuke pulled away.

* * *

“I don’t know why I did that.” Sasuke said as soon as he was back in his seat.

Naruto seemed to still be in the process of coming back to his senses.

“Huh?” he said.

“I don’t know why I did that.” Sasuke repeated.

“Of course you have to go and ruin everything.” Naruto mumbled to himself.

“What did you say?” Sasuke asked, accusingly.

“Of course you have to go and ruin everything!” Naruto repeated, now louder.

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it.” Sasuke mumbled to himself.

“What did you say?” Now it was Naruto’s turn to ask.

“NOTHING.” Sasuke said, pretty sure that Naruto heard him the first time.

“I know what you said.” Naruto said, with a chuckle.

“Oh really, what then?” Sasuke asked.

“You said you didn’t like it, but I know that’s a lie.” Naruto said, still smiling.

“You’re so stupid.” Sasuke said, and burst into a laugh.

“No, you are.” Naruto said, mumbling to himself. “Idiot.” Then he started laughing too.

* * *

* * *

They were heading back to the dorms and thoughts were overflowing Naruto’s mind. _What happens now?_ He didn’t want to think about it, but he didn’t want to NOT think about it either. He didn’t want this to be last time he gets to be with Sasuke like this.

He sneaked a peak at Sasuke walking by his side. He seemed to be deep in his thoughts too.

He decided it was now or never.

He locked his fingers with Sasuke’s, all the while trying his best not to look at him, pretending it was just a natural reflex, nothing planned or pondered upon.

Sasuke didn’t move away, but instead returned the grip. Naruto was relieved. When he finally looked at Sasuke, he was baffled to see a tear rolling down his cheek.

Naruto immediately broke free and yelled “Are you okay?”

Sasuke looked at him, teary eyed but smiling. “More than okay.” He offered his hand again and Naruto took it, and they walked hand in hand, silently.

* * *

Sasuke was overwhelmed with happiness and he didn’t know how to handle it. He managed to let himself go in front of Naruto and it was such a liberating feeling.

However, he wasn’t sure if he could keep it up in front of anyone else.

The warmth of Naruto’s hand inside his grip, their fingers locked, that was something he had never experienced before. It made him feel safe and comfortable, reassuring, made him believe that there was something in this world that could still make him happy.

But he also felt exposed and vulnerable. The feelings Naruto made him feel were enough to get rid of that, but he knew that as soon as they got back to campus, he would feel overwhelmed, and his defense mechanisms would force him to appear cold.

He decided he needed to talk to Naruto about it.

“You don’t have to worry so much.” Naruto suddenly said with a grin on his face.

Sasuke was shocked. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“I know you’re not ready to be exposed in front of everyone else.” Naruto said, all with a warm look on his face.

Sasuke was genuinely surprised that Naruto was capable of such deep understanding, especially with the fact that he acted like a complete idiot throughout the whole time they were together. _I should have known better_ , Sasuke thought to himself. He remembered all the times he could see through Naruto’s happy façade, knowing that somewhere deep inside he was as damaged as he was.

“Do you mind?” Sasuke asked.

“Of course not!” Naruto exclaimed, even though Sasuke was almost positive that he DID mind. But the fact that he pretended he was okay with it because he knew that’s what Sasuke needed to hear almost made him tear up again. _Tch._

“I do hope there will be more moments like this, though.” Naruto added, not looking at Sasuke.

“I know I can’t get rid of you so easily.” Sasuke said, smiling.

“On that we agree!” Naruto said and they continued walking, very slowly, both of them not wanting this to end.

* * *

* * *

Naruto was heading back to his room after he and Sasuke said goodbye to each other and headed their separate ways. He couldn’t help feeling sad, not knowing when the next opportunity to be close to him would present itself. He didn’t want to be too pushy now because he was afraid of scaring him away.

He opened the door to his room and there was Kiba, sitting on his bed, his arms crossed.

“Finally!!!” he shouted. He looked like he was angry. “Who were you with?”

Naruto realized he didn’t even think about possible excuses. He just stared at Kiba with a blank look on his face.

“I know.” Kiba said.

Naruto started panicking. _Maybe he saw us. What do I do then? How do I explain my sudden relationship with Sasuke? Sasuke will kill me if I say any-_

“You were with her, weren’t you?” Kiba said, and Naruto was shocked to see tears in his eyes.

“Who the hell are you talking about?” Now it was Naruto’s turn to yell back.

“Well, Hinata, of course!” Kiba shouted.

Naruto only then remembered that he got rid of Kiba by telling him he saw Hinata somewhere all by herself.

“I spent the whole of lunch break looking for her and I never found her.” he said, now looking at the ground. “And in the end I didn’t even have time to eat!”

_Uh-oh._

“And then when I showed up for class, you weren’t there!” Kiba looked at him accusingly.

“And the best you could think of was that I was with Hinata?” Naruto asked and couldn’t help but laugh.

Kiba looked offended.

“I went to Ichiraku’s because lunch made me even hungrier than before.” Naruto said.

Kiba nodded almost immediately, knowing that ramen came before everything else as far as Naruto was concerned.

_It was that easy, huh?_

Naruto sat next to him on the bed and was shocked when Kiba put his head in his lap and started crying. “Do you think she’ll ever love me?” he said, through tears.

“There, there.” Naruto patted him on the head. “Of course she will.”

* * *

Sasuke opened the door to his room only to find Suigetsu sitting on his bed.

“The prodigal son returns!” Suigetsu exclaimed dramatically.

“You need to stop making a habit of showing up randomly in my room.” Sasuke said.

“Where have you been, young sir?” Suigetsu asked. “You missed class.”

“None of your business.” Sasuke answered dryly.

“No need to get so defensive.” Suigetsu replied. “As you can see, I am in a good mood, and not even your surliness could ruin my day.”

“Oh?” Sasuke said.

“I’m glad you asked!” Suigetsu exclaimed. “I HAD LUNCH WITH KARIN!”

“I know, you idiot, I saw you two leave together.” Sasuke said.

“Oh, that’s right.” Suigetsu replied. “Well, I had the time of my life!”

Sasuke knew he would never leave him alone if he didn’t ask at least one question.

“So? What did you talk about?”

“You see, my friend, they don’t say “silence is golden” without a reason. The two of us sat there in silence and we bonded on a whole different level. An almost spiritual experience, one might say.” Suigetsu said, with a grin.

_Oh, that poor soul_.

“I’m happy for you.” Sasuke said, unconvincingly. However, Suigetsu didn’t seem to notice.

He got up from Sasuke’s bed, headed for the door and before leaving, said “We’ll go on a double date soon so you can finally introduce me to that mysterious girl who managed to steal your cold heart.”

“Whatever.” Sasuke replied and watched him close the door.

He lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

_What have I gotten myself into?_


	6. Vending Machine Adventures

The next day Naruto woke up with a nervous feeling in his stomach. He was excited to see Sasuke, but also didn’t know what to expect since they would both be in public, surrounded by people they know. 

He got ready for class reluctantly and the second he opened the door, he saw Kiba making his way hurriedly towards his room. 

“How are we feeling today?” Kiba asked as they walked together.

“How am I supposed to feel if not tired?” Naruto said moodily.

Kiba just laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

When they got to the classroom, Naruto’s eyes immediately searched for Sasuke. And there he was, at his usual spot by the window. Suigetsu was next to him, talking enthusiastically. However, Sasuke stopped listening to him the second Naruto walked in (if he was even listening to him in the first place). Their eyes met and Naruto was sure he saw a faint smile on his face. Suigetsu noticed Sasuke was looking somewhere else so he turned around, but Naruto quickly averted his eyes and headed with Kiba to their desk.

He couldn’t bring himself to listen to what the professor was saying because he couldn’t stop thinking about Sasuke. He could see him from where he was sitting so his eyes kept returning back to him. Kiba didn’t notice anything, of course, because his gaze was fixed on Hinata.

“Who does that Shino think he is?” he suddenly said angrily.

“Huh?” Naruto was lost.

“Just look at the guy.”

“What are you talking about?” Naruto was still confused.

“Look at how close to Hinata he’s sitting.” Kiba said. “He must’ve been the reason I couldn’t find her yesterday, that sly fox.” Kiba continued mumbling to himself and Naruto just laughed.

His eyes went back to Sasuke, who was now doing something on his phone. Naruto’s heart immediately started beating rapidly. _Could he be sending me a text?_

He quickly took his phone out of his pocket and stared at it anxiously, hoping for the screen to light up. 

* * *

Sasuke was mad at himself for not being able to hold back the smile when he saw Naruto. Of course Suigetsu knew something was up, considering the fact that Sasuke never smiled.

He kept naming people currently in the classroom and waited for confirmation of his doubts. Sasuke tried to keep his expression stone cold and Suigetsu finally gave up when Sasuke didn't show any sign of a possible reaction. 

Sasuke realized he was holding his phone in his hand. _Why did I do that?_ He felt the urge to send a message to Naruto but he didn’t know if it was a smart idea. _Why not?_ He tried to think of reasons why not to text him but realized he came up empty.

Now he was staring at his phone not knowing what to write. What did he want to say? He had no idea how to do this and the longer he thought about it, the more ashamed with himself he was.

**Better pay attention to the class or you’ll stay dumb forever.**

That was the best he came up with, while still preserving his pride.

The response came almost immediately, just as he thought.

**Are you saying there’s something wrong with being dumb?** Sasuke couldn’t help but smile again. Then another text came. **You seem perfectly fine with it yourself.**

_Of course he would say that._ Sasuke knew he deserved it, though.

**Wanna meet up during lunch break?**

He clicked send before he was even fully aware of what he wrote. Now he was staring at the message blankly, panicking. _Is it too soon?_ Plus, he felt really weird about being the one who asked first. But quite frankly, after all the effort Naruto had gone through to get him to hang out with him yesterday, maybe he deserved a little help from his side.

**Of course!**

Naruto was quick to respond. Another message followed. **I mean, if I really have to.** Sasuke smiled again and didn’t even bother hiding it anymore.

**Meet me at the vending machines.**

He sent the message and impatiently waited for the classes to be over.

* * *

The second Sasuke got out of the classroom, he realized he didn’t really think this through. Suigetsu always spent lunch breaks with him and yesterday's break was suspicious enough, so there was no way he could pull it off today without Suigetsu realizing something was up.

“I’ve got bad news for you, pal.” Suigetsu suddenly said.

“What bad news?” Sasuke asked.

“You’re eating lunch by yourself today.” Suigetsu grinned. “Karin asked me to join her.”

Sasuke was genuinely shocked. He also felt relieved and he couldn’t help but smile widely.

Now Suigetsu was shocked. “This is the first time I’ve seen you happy for me.” Before Sasuke could react, he hugged him tightly and then said “Bye, my friend.” and went on his way.

Sasuke waited for the hallways to clear, with everyone headed one way or the other, and then slowly walked towards the vending machines.

When he made the corner, he saw Naruto already there, waiting. Well, at first he thought he was waiting, but then he realized he was in the middle of an intense battle with one of the vending machines. Sasuke stopped and waited to see how this whole thing would play out.

After a long minute of slamming the machine back and forth, Naruto let out a triumphant yell and pulled a chocolate out of it. Sasuke decided to finally approach him.

As soon as Naruto noticed him, he started smiling nervously, probably hoping that Sasuke had not seen his struggle with the machine.

“Did you win?” Sasuke asked, forcing himself to keep a straight look on his face.

“What do you mean?” Naruto laughed nervously.

“Against the big bad vending machine.” Sasuke said and then smiled because he couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“Damn right I did!” Naruto said, trying to sound proud.

“You’re such an idiot.” Sasuke said.

Naruto put his arm around Sasuke’s shoulder and leaned closely to whisper in his ear. “You love it, though.”

Sasuke thought about shoving him off, but realized he didn’t mind. “You’re welcome to think so if it helps you sleep at night.” he said.

“Sure, sure, you don’t want to admit that you find me irresistible.” Naruto’s face was still very close to him and he felt… What exactly? He was too ashamed to even think about the possibility of _butterflies in his stomach._

“Don’t get any weird ideas.” he said and jokingly shoved Naruto away.

Then he noticed a hallway before the stairs that led to the library. He knew the odds of someone being there during lunch time were almost none.

He decided not to think too much about what he had just decided to do, grabbed Naruto by the arm and shoved him against the wall in the hallway.

They stared at each other for a couple of seconds, both knowing what was next, when Sasuke leaned in close and pressed his lips on Naruto’s.

At the beginning it was very tender, as if they were both unsure of what they were doing, but then Sasuke cupped Naruto’s face with both his hands and Naruto ran his fingers through Sasuke’s hair before gently but firmly grabbing it.

Their bodies were so close it felt as if they were one.

Naruto’s other hand starting going down Sasuke’s back, tracing it, and pulling him even closer. Sasuke felt as if he wanted to completely disappear in his embrace, like it was the only place where he ever wanted to be.

Who knows what would’ve happened if they didn’t hear a sound coming from the direction of the vending machines.

They stopped abruptly and Sasuke tried to fix his hair while Naruto seemed completely disoriented. They decided to hide on the stairs.

* * *

“Are you sure nobody will be here?” Naruto heard a female voice talking. He realized it was Karin.

“Absolutely positive,” a male voice answered and Naruto looked at Sasuke when he realized who it was.

Sasuke was covering his mouth so as not to let his laugh be heard. It was Suigetsu.

“You better because I don’t want anyone to see me with you.” Karin was saying. “It would totally ruin my reputation. Plus, you know I’m only doing this because I want to get some experience for Sas-“

“Yeah, yeah, sure.” Suigetsu interrupted her.

That’s when the talking stopped and Naruto and Sasuke started giggling silently like a couple of schoolgirls. Sasuke then pointed towards the library and Naruto nodded.

They tried to be as silent as possible. When they got into the library they started laughing like a couple of idiots and the librarian gave them a menacing stare. They both closed their mouths instantly but were still hardly able to suppress their laughter.

There was another exit, so they took it and, as they walked down the empty stairs, Naruto took hold of Sasuke’s hand.

He felt happy.

* * *

When they got back to the main hallway, they checked the time and realized they would have to be getting back to class soon. Naruto got sad because he felt he needed more time. He wanted to be with Sasuke all the time, but he knew that was not possible. And he didn’t want to smother him. He knew he wouldn’t be able to just stay silent though.

“Don’t you think we have some unfinished business?” he asked Sasuke, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Sasuke looked at him in a way that seemed to say that he knew exactly what Naruto was doing. Naruto was hoping that he would still fall for it regardless.

“What do you propose?” he asked.

Naruto tried to think of a way to subtly ask him to come over. He failed, of course.

“What do YOU propose?” Naruto asked back, as a way to buy time until he thought of something.

“I asked first.” Sasuke laughed.

“I didn’t know this was a competition.” Naruto replied.

“You’re so dumb.” Sasuke said, still laughing. Then he got serious. “I can come over to your room later, if you’d like.” he said.

Naruto told himself not to look too relieved or eager, but the second Sasuke said it, he knew his eyes were shining and a big dumb smile was all over his face.

_No wonder he calls me an idiot._


End file.
